SA amateur golf salutes David Konzani

03 May 2017

The South African golfing fraternity mourns the passing of former number one ranked senior David Konzani, who passed away this morning at the age of 55 after a year-long battle with cancer.

“I extend our heartfelt condolences to David’s wife, family and friends and Eastern Province Golf Union on behalf the South African Golf Association and GolfRSA,” said South African Golf Association president Geoff Taylor.

“Golf has lost one of its favourite sons and the Eastern Province amateur golf fraternity one of its finest senior amateur golfers. We will miss David’s signature smile and his positive attitude to life, to people and to the game he loved so much.

“David was quintessential proof that golf has no age limit. In 2014 at the age of 52, he lined up alongside players less than half his age and scored eight points to help Eastern Province seal B-Division promotion in the 54th South African Inter-Provincial at Westlake Golf Club.

“In 2015, he staved off a field stacked with the top senior amateur golfers in the country to lift the South African Senior Stroke Play Championship title by a staggering 12 shots at his home course at Humewood.

“David finally realised a life-long dream to tee it up abroad when he qualified for the British Senior Amateur as the number one ranked senior amateur in South Africa, but sadly illness prevented him from making the trip. He was held in high regard by everyone in the golfing fraternity, but especially by his peers on the senior circuit. He was a highly liked and respected golfer, a force to be reckoned with, but a faithful team-mate and loyal friend.”

Eastern Province Golf Union Director of Golf Greg de Doncker said Kozani’s passing will leave a void that will be hard to fill for years to come.

“We are shaken and saddened by David’s passing,” De Doncker said.

“David’s perpetual smile disguised a fiercely competitive nature and a fire to win that made him a fierce and formidable competitor. He represented Eastern Province at many levels over the course of his career, including the premier, mid-amateur and senior inter-provincials.

In 2015, David was named the Eastern Province Senior Player of the Year and he was the overall winner of the SportElizabeth Homegrown Hero of the Year Award.

“We will deeply miss this man who shared and supported the vision to grow the game and to take it from being good to being great. David greatly inspired a great many young golfers to reach for greater heights. The young players looked up to him for guidance and they admired his demeanour on and off the golf course and his respect for the game. Eastern Province amateur golf has lost a great servant.

Konzani is survived by his wife Mellia and four children. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

Written and released on behalf of GolfRSA, a SAGA and WGSA Not-For-Profit company.

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